A transmural pressure gradient induces mechanical and biological adaptive responses in endothelial cells.
Journal
  American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology.
Citation
  Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 286(2):H731-41
Publication date
  2004 Feb
Authors
  DeMaio L
Tarbell JM
Scaduto RC
Gardner TW
Antonetti DA
Investigators
  David A. Antonetti
Thomas W. Gardner
Russell C. Scaduto, Jr.
John Tarbell
Grant agencies
  National Eye Institute
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Grants
  NEI EY-12021
NHLBI HL-57093
MeSH headings
  Cell Membrane Permeability
Endothelium, Vascular
MeSH qualifiers
  physiology
Abstract
  A sudden increase in the transmural pressure gradient across endothelial monolayers reduces hydraulic conductivity (L(p)), a phenomenon known as the sealing effect. To further characterize this endothelial adaptive response, we measured bovine aortic endothelial cell (BAEC) permeability to albumin and 70-kDa dextran, L(p), and the solvent-drag reflection coefficients (sigma) during the sealing process. The diffusional permeability coefficients for albumin (1.33 +/- 0.18 x 10(-6) cm/s) and dextran (0.60 +/- 0.16 x 10(-6) cm/s) were measured before pressure application. The effective permeabilities (measured when solvent drag contributes to solute transport) of albumin and dextran (P(ealb) and P(edex)) were measured after the application of a 10 cmH(2)O pressure gradient; during the first 2 h of pressure application, P(ealb), P(edex), and L(p) were significantly reduced by 2.0 +/- 0.3-, 2.1 +/- 0.3-, and 3.7 +/- 0.3-fold, respectively. Immunostaining of the tight junction (TJ) protein zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) was significantly increased at cell-cell contacts after the application of transmural pressure. Cytochalasin D treatment significantly elevated transport but did not inhibit the adaptive response, whereas colchicine treatment had no effect on diffusive permeability but inhibited the adaptive response. Neither cytoskeletal inhibitor altered sigma despite significantly elevating both L(p) and effective permeability. Our data suggest that BAECs actively adapt to elevated transmural pressure by mobilizing ZO-1 to intercellular junctions via microtubules. A mechanical (passive) component of the sealing effect appears to reduce the size of a small pore system that allows the transport of water but not dextran or albumin. Furthermore, the structures of the TJ determine transport rates but do not define the selectivity of the monolayer to solutes (sigma).